Budgeting 101: Coupons

Want to read about the rest of the Budgeting 101 Series? Find it: HERE.

Couponing

Budgeting 101: Class 7

Coupons:

As I mentioned at first,  I am not a fancy couponer.  I tried serious couponing in the past and it has some good advantages.  But personally for my life style it wasn’t as successful.  I didn’t want to commit enough time to make it more profitable.  But for those of you that do, then keep it up!

The Couponing Process I do use is rather simple.

I check through the circulars I get in the mail, like Red Plum, and I keep any coupons for things I already plan on buying or  … I keep ones for cleaning supplies, Beauty Supplies, etc. 

When I have my shopping list I check this website:

For any coupons that will match the things I am purchasing.  Usually they have a milk coupon (any brand) and cheese coupon (any brand),  cereal, and a few others I might need.

I then use Price Matching and add my coupons to the price matched items and items on my shopping list at Walmart. I also use coupons at Winco. Neither Walmart or Winco double coupons, but with the better price matching and sale prices it saves a lot.

Helpful Sites:

These sites compile lists of sale items in local grocery stores. They have a rating for how good the sale is and they connect the information/link for  any coupons that work for these deals.  It is very convenient!

It also can be referred to when you want to know how good a deal/sale is.

SmartSource.com
Coupons.com
CouponDivas.com
TheGroceryGame.com
SavvyShopperdeals.com
MyGroceryDeals.com 

When Shopping:

But when I am shopping, I still double check that the store brand isn’t cheaper than the name brand item with a coupon. USUALLY, I find the store brand is cheaper than a name brand item with a coupon.  Unless, the name brand is on sale and the coupon savings can be added to the sale price.

*BUT, don't misunderstand, "Real Couponers" can find the sales, double/triple coupons, etc to make the deals even better...Which is amazing. But the process didn't work for my life style, so I settle for these simple ways of saving money.

Things I find profitable to coupon:

-Health and Beauty Products

-Cleaning Supplies

-Cereal

-Milk & Cheese (when it is for any brand)

-Items you ONLY buy the name brand of

-Lunch Meat (Land-O-Frost)

-Detergent

Budgeting 101: Price Matching

Want to read about the rest of the Budgeting 101 Series? 
Find it: HERE.

Price Matching
Budgeting 101: Class 5

Price Matching:

I don’t like running to multiple stores.

So I price match.

I price match at Walmart.

Because they encourage it and make it
easy and stress free.
And you can add your coupons ON TOP 
of the sale price you are "price matching."

Price Matching Can Sound Nerve Racking.
But…It’s actually rather simple.

I first was rather nervous, but after a trip I realized it is easy to do.

So here are the Basic Steps:

 

1. First Find the Deals: 
Look in the Weekly Ads (both newspaper and via internet) as well as  great sites such as:
GrocerySmarts.Com  Pinching Your Pennies  My Grocery Deals  Savvy Shopper Deals
(These sites, show all the stores in your area and the sale prices with a ranking of how good the sale is. Easy to compile and compare)

*NOTE: You wont save money if you decide to buy things, just because it’s on sale.

Look for the deals on items you need and list them. 

2. To Price Match You Need to Know:

-Item's brand (You can match store brand from one store to Walmart's Store brand, Great Value)
-Size/Amount (pounds, ounces, etc)
-Variety
-Price
-The Store the item is on sale at.

*The Stores Policy: You can find this on their Store Website or ask at the customer service desk.
Walmart let's you price match if the items above match the item they sell. They do not match Buy One Get One ____, deals.  This is because the original price of the "buy one" is different at the varying Stores. 

Example: Brand: Kellogg's Cereal, Size: 15-17oz, Varieties: Corn Flakes, Pops & Fruit Loops, Price: $1.99, Store on Sale: Smith's Grocery

3. SHOPPING LIST: 

List, includes all the information mentioned above. I use a few simple abbreviations to make my list easier.

Mine looks like this:
    Pops: K. Cereal/ 15-17 ($1.99 @S)

4. Shop

A little organization when shopping, makes the trip stress free and run smoothly. When I go to the store I keep all the items to price match in the front of my cart, separate from regular priced items.  Be sure to check each item is the right match (brand, size, variety, etc) as you put it in the cart.

5. At Check Out: 
When checking out, I put all of the price match items on first.  Keeping the same items together, it makes it faster and much less confusing. I immediately tell the cashier that I have a some items to price match. (Often they ask me before they begin.) And then I read from my list of sale prices.  

For example: Roma Tomatoes are $0.69 per pound….Libby’s Green Beans $0.50 a can, I have ten cans…”
Then I after they have rung up ALL of my items I had them any coupons I have. 
(Both on price matched items and regular items)

*It is always a great practice to watch as they ring up, making sure they don't make any mistakes. But I rarely find mistakes.

NOTE: If you are price matching an item in multiple varieties, it helps the cashier if you group the same variety types together.  For Example: matching Pillsbury Cake Mix, put them in groups of Vanilla, Chocolate, Funfetti, etc.  Then tell the cashier how many of each variety you have. This makes the process faster, the cashier happier, and you less confusion.

Other Tips: 
I prefer the Young Male cashiers.  That probably sounds funny, but it is actually because they are the fastest.  Obviously this isn’t 100%, but I find it is most of the time.

Walmart no longer requires you to bring the adds, but I always have them in my purse just in case there is any confusion.  I have only used them once in 6 years, but I figure I prefer to be prepared. It also can come in handy when shopping if I need to double check what the variety or sale is.

Budgeting 101: Our Full Budget System

Want to read about the rest of the Budgeting 101 Series? Find it: HERE.

Budgeting 101: Class 6

 Our Full Budget System...How Do I Budget?

•  First and Foremost you need to make sure you MAKE MORE THAN YOU SPEND

• So if you aren’t doing that, then either find ways to make more money…or most likely you need to find ways to cut back your spending.

• To begin, do you know what you are spending each month or where your money is going?

Set a BASIC BUDGET
Following Dave Ramsey's Monthly Cash Flow Plan, great way to begin setting a budget.
It helps you look at your income, the amounts you "should" spend on bills and each area of your budget. It provides a percentage range for each category. This helps you know if your expenses, in each area, are reasonable for your income.

Dave Ramsey's 

Here is another great site that explains how to set up your budget.  Easy step by step instructions.

Organizing Home Life

Or if you already know how to set up your budget, but just want a basic printable to keep it organized, here is a simplistic Monthly Budget Sheet.

247Moms.Com

So my basic Budget Routine Each month is simple.

And it needs to be, or I wouldn't keep up with it...sad I know.

But of all things, I have to be realistic about my budget, because staying on top of it matters now and for our future.

So Here is what I do each Month:

•  First I know my regular Bills: Housing, Utilities, Savings, Internet, Phones, etc.
• I also know our regular expenses: Entertainment, Food, etc 

I have these printed out on a Budget form, like those found above.

So all I have to do each month is:

1. Look over the Budget: I make a quick check of the on the amounts we set for each area of the budget & see if we need to make any changes.

2. Budget the Left Over Money: Deciding where the extra money is going in advance, avoids wasted money. (It's crazy how the money not accounted for can somehow disappear...)

      Since our income is pretty regular, I know a good estimate of the amount I will have left over.  

      This money is where we decide what we would like to do with:

           Entertain/Throw a Party? Home improvements?  Trip? Piano Lessons? Invest/Save it? Etc.

OUR FAMILY BUDGET:

Basic NEEDS: 

These are the thing we CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT. That doesn't mean, we couldn't find less expensive housing, cut back on utilities or gas...but for our needs, WITHIN, our budget these are our BASIC NEEDS.

Charity: 10-15%                 Tithing and Donations 

Housing:  25-35%               Mortgage/Rent, Tax, Repairs

Utilities: 5-10%                   Gas, Electic, Water, Trash

Insurance: 10-25%             Life, Health, Home, Auto, etc

Transportation: 10%         Gas & Auto Maint/Repairs

Food/Household: 5-10%    Food, Hygiene, Household

*Percentages based off Dave Ramsey...we try to stay as low on the percentages as possible.

Needs 
These Needs, are things we rely heavily upon, but aren’t vital.  If money got tight and we had to cut back, we could do, painfully, without these.

Cell Phones $110

Internet $50

Miscellaneous $100

Savings: 10-20%
If we had a problem, yes, these would TEMPORARILY be cut...but these are considered a "Set Monthly Bill"...we cut back elsewhere, before we cut here.

Emergency Fund (6 months worth of current living expenses. Once this is reached, save the money elsewhere)

Car Fund- We pay ourselves, a "car payment" each month.  This way, when the time comes to get a new car, we don't have to buy it on credit.  It saves a lot of money in the end and makes you much wiser when choosing your car.  Because, it is hard to spend that large of an amount of money, after how long you saved for it.

Kids/Education Fund- Put away money for Kids Education and future needs

Retirement & Investing- The more you save now, the better you will be.

Misc. Savings-  This savings changes depending on our situation and needs.  We often have more than one "account", because we are saving for multiple things. It can be for a House/Down Payment, A trip, Recreational Toys, Electronics, etc.

Wants:

Here is where we spend on fun. These are what we allocate for spending on ourselves.  It also helps us not judge or get upset with our spouse's spending...This money is for them to spend on what they want.
But, yes...this is the first area of the budget to get cut, when things get tight.
Although, you might notice, we have things we already cut, because we don't feel they are worth the cost: Dish Network, Hulu, etc.

Netflix $7

Entertainment/Eating Out/Babysitting: $200

Personal Budgets (Wants, clothes, etc):

 -Dallas $100

 -Colleen $100

 -Kids $100 (for all kids total)

Extra Money: 
We always stash some of it away.  I like the feeling that we never need to spend all that we make. Then we take into account things we have been wanting, something random that came up...things not covered in our allotted Personal Budgets or the Miscellaneous Budget.

Ways We Save...We Go without:

- We never buy on credit (other than a home) if we don’t have the money we save for it.

- Cable or Dish (We have Basic Channels,)

- Spendy Cell Phone Plans (We have data and text, but we share minutes and buy the phones you can get free with you plan.  We also consider other less expensive plans like month to month…)

- Trade babysitting with neighbors

- We buy Off Brand

- We avoid Fast Food (Because it is unhealthy and the cost adds up quickly)

- We watch our “energy” to cut back on Utilities 

Budgeting 101: Meal Planning Saves Money

Want to read about the rest of the Budgeting 101 Series? Find it: HERE.

Budgeting 101: Class 4
 Meal Planning is what makes my budget work.  
Because I plan what we eat I know what groceries I will need each month.  
And It makes it so I can watch for deals on items I will need.

MY MONTHLY MEAL PLAN:

Each of these Meals are a Category.  Meaning, if it says "Chicken & Potatoes" that means I am cooking Chicken & Potatoes...but it could be grilled chicken, baked chicken, crock pot, etc. It also varies in marinade or flavoring.  This way I can change up the variety within the category.

I don't like it to feel like we eat the same thing again and again.

Example: one week it will be BBQ chicken and Baked Potatoes, then the next will be Garlic Baked Chicken with Herb Potatoes. 

AND each category is made TWICE a MONTH.

1. Chicken & Potatoes x2

2. Chicken & Rice x2

3. Meatloaf & Potatoes x2

4. Lasagna & Italian x2
 5. Enchiladas/Tacos/Burritos x2

6. Beans & Rice x2

7. Salsa Chicken Meals x2

8. Stir Fry x2

9. Spaghetti x2

10. Fried Rice x2

11. Soup x2

12. Salad x2

Each of these meals doubled = 24 MEALS

Giving about 3 Nights for Left Overs & 3 Night for Eating Out/Entertaining 

MEALS: 
(with Recipes linked)

Choose 2 from each category...OR choose one and make double to freeze.
This will save you time later in the month.

Chicken & Potatoes: 

Parmesan Ranch Baked Chicken, BBQ Chicken, Italian Baked Chicken, Herb Seasoned Baked Chicken, Honey Lime Chicken, Chicken & Potato Veggie Bake, Lemon Garlic Chicken & Potato Bake, Slow Cooker Chicken & Potatoes, Parmesan Crusted Chicken, Sweet and Spicy Chicken, and Marinade Chicken (Use Your Favorite Marinades)
*ADD a vegetable side dish: Corn, Broccoli, Green Beans, Salad, etc.

Chicken & Rice: 

Fast Herb Chicken & Wild Rice, Creamy Chicken & Rice Bake, Sweet & Sour Chicken, Hawaiian BBQ Chicken, Hawaiian Haystacks, Chicken Bacon Broccoli & Rice, Chicken & Black Bean Casserole, Lemon Chicken & Rice, Orange Chicken, Cilantro Thai Grilled Chicken, Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken, Honey Sauced Chicken, Cashew Chicken, Coconut Chicken & Apricot Sauce, Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken, Teriyaki Chicken, Marinade Chicken & Rice, 

*ADD a vegetable side dish: Corn, Broccoli, Green Beans, Salad, etc.

Meatloaf & Potatoes: 

 Meatloaf, Salsa Mini Meatloaves
*ADD a vegetable side dish: Corn, Broccoli, Green Beans, Salad, etc.

Lasagna & Italian: 

Easy Lasagna, Beef Lasagna, Sausage Lasagna, Lasagna Casserole, Slow Cooker Lasagna, Lasagna Skillet, Chicken Parmesan Casserole, Crock Pot Manicotti, Italian Zucchini Skillet
*ADD a vegetable side dish: Corn, Broccoli, Green Beans, Salad, etc.
*Optional add Bread, Rolls, Garlic Bread, Etc.

Enchiladas/Tacos/Burritos: 

Chicken Enchiladas, Creamy Chicken Enchiladas, Honey Lime Enchiladas, Mexican Beef Enchiladas, Cafe Rio Smoothered Burritos, Basic Bean Burritos, Soft Tacos, Crunchy Tacos, Oven Tacos, Fajitas, Burrito Skillet, Enchilada Casserole, Bean & Rice Enchiladas, Enchilada Bake, Slow Cooker Enchiladas, Stuffed Quesedillas, Cilantro Lime Chicken Burritos, Chicken Enchilada Pasta
*ADD a Rice Side Dish & vegetable side dish: Corn, Broccoli, Green Beans, Salad, etc.

Beans & Rice: 

Lime Cilantro Beans & Rice, Cilantro Beans & Rice, Red Beans Kielbasa & Rice, Three Beans & Rice
*ADD a vegetable side dish: Corn, Broccoli, Green Beans, Salad, etc.

Salsa Chicken Meal: 

 Salsa Chicken Meal/Chicken Taco Chili with Rice, Salsa Chicken Burritos,
*ADD a vegetable side dish: Corn, Broccoli, Green Beans, Salad, etc.

Stir Fry: 

Crock Pot Beef & Broccoli, Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry, Chicken Stir Fry, Stir Fry, Citrus Glazed Chicken Stir Fry
*ADD a vegetable side dish: Corn, Broccoli, Green Beans, Salad, etc.

Spaghetti: 

Spaghetti, Easy Ziti, Spaghetti & Meatballs, Chicken Penne

*ADD a vegetable side dish: Corn, Broccoli, Green Beans, Salad, etc.
*Optional add Bread, Rolls, Garlic Bread, Etc.

Fried Rice:  

Chicken Fried Rice, Ham Fried Rice

Soup: 

Taco Soup, Potato Soup, Bean Tortilla Soup, Bean Chile Soup, Stew, Chicken Tortilla Soup, White Chicken Chile, Black Bean Soup
*Add Bread, Rolls, Garlic Bread, Tortilla Chips, Etc.

Salad: 

Seasoned Chicken Salad, Taco Salad, BBQ Chicken Salad, Cranberry Chicken Spinach Salad, Cobb Salad, Salad Bar DIY, Cafe Rio Salad, More Salad Ideas

MORE TIPS FOR MEAL PLANNING:

WITH MEAL PLANNING helps me know what to make and
 what to buy, but I also use it to make dinner easier.

 I also, use the meals above for:
 Freezer Meals, "Dump" Meals,  slow cooker, 30 minute meals, "cook once eat twice," etc.  

I plan the type of meal with the time I will have each day.  
For example, on the days I am out of the house, I plan a slow cooker meal, days I have a little extra time I will make a "cook once eat twice" meal and freeze the second half.  

To learn more about how schedule these and more on the basics of "MEAL PLANING" check: HERE.

And for more on the Budgeting 101 Series? Find it: HERE.

Budgeting 101: Cooking for Less

Want to read about the rest of the Budgeting 101 Series? Find it: HERE.

Budgeting 101: Class 3

Want to Cook For LESS? Grocery bills can add up very quickly and the way we cook along with convenience foods can really break a budget. So how do you cook for less?

I wish I was an expert, but I'm not...most of my knowledge comes from learning the hard way and asking around.  After plenty of research and trying things out I have a few basic rules that DRAMATICALLY CUT MY GROCERY BILLS.

Now, this doesn't mean you can cook a fun fancy (expensive) meal or make nice food to entertain, but by sticking to these rules you wont break the budget on those special occasions.

Rules for Cooking For Less:

1. Make From Scratch
2. Buy Store Brand

3. Price Match

4. Meal Plan

5. Buy Bulk

6. Freeze your extras

7. Substitute dried for Fresh Herbs, Less expensive cheeses, etc.

**Be Educated and Aware...sometimes items in bulk don't save money, so double check your prices...and once in a while I can find something on sale cheaper than I can make it...but overall these Rules tend to be true.

ANOTHER WAY TO SAVE ON FOOD: 
Is understanding what foods are less expensive and what foods are filling.

Food that cost less & are Filling:

- Potatoes

- Beans

- Rice

- Noodles
- Soups

Inexpensive Recipes:

Meat gets expensive quickly.  So Recipes without meat are often much less expensive. 
And they can still be filling and satisfying. Try and rotate in MEATLESS meals 
to cut down on your monthly food costs.

Beans & Rice

Bean Tortilla Soup

Taco Soup (use can of chile to substitute for the ground beef)

Spaghetti (meatless)

Easy Ziti Pasta

Bean Burritos

Bean & Rice Enchiladas

3 Bean Chile

Breakfast for Dinner

Potato Soup

Italian Zuccini Skillet

**UPDATED: Recipes can be found: HERE

Less Expensive Recipes with Meat:
Chicken Tortilla Soup

Lasagna
Spaghetti & Meat Sauce

Chicken Penne

Stew

Hawaiian Hay Stacks

Stir Fry

Chicken & Potatoes

Chicken & Herb Potatoes
Enchilada Casserole

7 Layer Casserole

Wild Rice, Chicken & Veggies

Creamy Chicken & Rice Casserole

Enchiladas- Chicken & Rice

Red beans Kielbasa & Rice

Sausage Spinach Pasta Toss

**UPDATED: Recipes can be found: HERE

Lunch:
Buying/Eating out for lunch is very expensive.
So I pack my husband a lunch each day. The night before after we have finished dinner, I serve him up left overs for his lunch the next day.  It cuts on my time preparing a lunch and saves us lots of money.

For kids and Sack Lunches we keep it simple. 
A sandwich, a hot dog, burrito, wrap, etc.  The treats and snack foods can get costly, so we buy large bags not individual, store brand and sale items. Cookies and treats are often homemade and stored in the freezer, taking one out for lunch each day. Cut up fruit and veggies, instead of the prepackaged kind and reusable water bottle also cut on costs.


Breakfast:

Cereal, Poptarts, Frozen Breakfasts, etc are usually more expensive food items. When they are on killer deals, stock up, but to save money and for a healthier alternative here are a list of great Inexpensive Breakfast Ideas.
AND ALL OF THESE IDEAS CAN BE HOMEMADE...with increases the health value and decreases the cost!

        Oatmeal- (not individual packaged)
         My kids eat this every morning.  But if you love the store bought flavored kind Here and Here
         are great ideas to make your own individual packages in a variety of flavors.

        Toast-
         Homemade is obviously the best and you can make cinnamon bread, or all kinds of tasty
         varieties. Or just try jazzing up regular bread with a little Peanut Butter, Cinnamon &
         Sugar, Jam, Nutella, Etc.  Be creative.

        Granola- 
         Winco has great prices on the bulk granola, which we regularly buy.  But homemade granola
          is always better here are some good recipes:
                  Golden Granola Cranberry Almond Granola  Your Own Granola

        Pancakes-
         Make the plain original, or try a new recipe and flavor. Make ahead and freeze, for a fast
         breakfast.

        Muffins-
         Make ahead and freeze, for a fast breakfast.

        Waffles-
          Make ahead and freeze. Pop in the toaster for a fast breakfast.


Now I am not perfect at all of these and we do have times I need something for convenience...or I love to entertain and I spend extra to do so...but living by these on a regular basis makes a world of difference in my budget.

DO NOTE: I am primarily a stay at home mom.  This means I have extra time than those that work all day, so somethings aren't reasonable for everyone.  Look for realistic areas you can make changes and money saving ideas that fit your family's needs/lifestyle.

In the next few posts I will add the recipes mentioned above and more for Meal Planning.

 Keep Checking back for more Budgeting 101 posts with more tips and ideas to save money!

Click: HERE for the rest of the Budgeting 101 Series. 

(It will be continually updated)

Budgeting 101: Monthly Grocery Shopping

Want to read about the rest of the Budgeting 101 Series? Find it: HERE.

Budgeting 101: Class 2

Are you still WONDERING HOW I SPEND $300 TOTAL on GROCERIES AND HOUSEHOLD ITEMS?

Here is a break down of what I spend and on what each month:

{via}

Because I "MEAL PLAN" & plan my months meals in advance I know the basics I will need each month. These do not use up my entire budget, so I use the remaining money on any other needs and wants.

My Monthly Grocery List:

Monthly Groceries:

Chicken (15lb) = $26

Ground Turkey/Beef (6lb) = $10

Milk (2 gallons)= $5

Cheese (3lb) = $6

Yogurt (4 large containers)= $12

Cottage Cheese (2) = $2

Eggs (2 doz.) = $3

Bread (4 loafs) = $6

Tortillas (3) = $3

Broccoli (4 crowns)= $3.50

Spinach (2 bags)= $3.50

Apples (10) = $4

Bananas (4 bunches)= $10

Tomatoes (6)= $2

Potatoes (10lb)= $2

Frozen Vegetables (5 bags)= $4.50

Subtotal: $ 102.50

Food Storage Items (used every month)

Rice (6lb) = $3

Oats (2.5-3lb)= $3

Noodles (2.5lb)= $2

Beans (10 cans)= $5

Spaghetti Sauce (4 lg. cans)= $3

Subtotal: $16

Monthly House/Hygiene Needs:

Diapers (extra large box) =$20

Wipes (350 wipes) =$6

Subtotal: $26

GRAND TOTAL: $144.50

*Now, these PRICES are STANDARD SALE AND/OR STORE PRICES, but I OFTEN FIND THESE ITEMS FOR LESS...which gives even more money for other things.  

So this list doesn’t included everything I purchase each month.  This is the basic list of needs for the month.  
The items I know I use because I have my meals planned.

Now, looking back at my budget:

Budget: $300

Groceries and Household = $200

Food Storage = $100

I still have  $155.50 left 

(Groceries and Household: $71.50 & Food Storage: $84)

So with this money, I buy other items that don't need to be restocked EVERY month and additional items we may need/want.  

I buy bulk paper products like: Toilet Paper, Paper Plates, etc. These last about 3-6 months, so these get purchases with this spare money as needed.

Also...

Snacks, condiments, extra ingredients, items for special meals, hygiene products, cleaning products, paper products, and staples like flour, sugar, etc. These items are not needed every month so, I buy them as needed, but USUALLY I wait for a great sale to buy them and stock up.

In the next few posts I will explain how I use the groceries above to make my MONTH OF MEALS and how I MEAl PLAN.

 Keep Checking back for more Budgeting 101 posts with more tips and ideas to save money!
Click: HERE for the rest of the Budgeting 101 Series. 
(It will be continually updated)